1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a device used to apply liquid herbicides, nutricides or pesticides to crops and, more specifically, to a sprayer boom through which the liquid is applied.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known in the art to use herbicides, nutricides and pesticides in dry or liquid form to improve the health of plants. Liquid form is often applied using a spraying apparatus by positioning a nozzle in the apparatus over a plant or group of plants and forcing the liquid through the nozzle such that it is dispersed in a mist or fine droplets. When using this type of apparatus on a field crop, it must be mounted on or otherwise attached to a tank which holds the liquid and a conveyance vehicle in order to provide a continuous mist or droplets and move it over and through the crop. Quite often, the spraying apparatus includes a sprayer boom on which nozzles are mounted and which extends beyond the width of the conveyance vehicle to maximize coverage with every pass and which can be folded in such a way as to allow for easy storage or transport.
The present invention differs from known sprayer booms in that these prior devices are constructed using many pieces that are welded together. Every weld of other sprayer booms connotes a weak point in the structure and, consequently, the maximum length and strength of the entire sprayer boom is necessarily lessened. In addition, these multiple-piece apparatuses require the manufacture of each piece including cutting, fabrication and assembly. In addition, other sprayer booms often position the nozzles in a manner that creates a vulnerability of the liquid mist or droplets to disturbance by wind or of the nozzles to physical damage. Such disturbance results in an uneven or unpredictable level of application of the liquid to the crop and in a degree of loss of liquid.
Finally, other sprayer booms are often assembled in a manner which results in restricted access to nozzles for adjustment, repair or placement.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to increase the strength of a sprayer boom by decreasing the number of welds and pieces necessary for construction.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a sprayer boom which may be longer while maintaining adequate stability and strength.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide a sprayer boom made of fewer fabricated parts and fewer welds, thereby decreasing the amount of labor and costs encountered in its manufacture.
It is a fourth object of the invention to provide a sprayer boom constructed in such a way that nozzles delivering liquid are better protected from wind disturbance thereby increasing the efficiency and accuracy of the spraying apparatus.
It is a fifth objective of the present invention to provide protection of the nozzles from being bumped which may, at best, knock the nozzle out of alignment or, at worst, damage or eliminate the nozzle.
It is a sixth objective to provide a sprayer boom wherein nozzles are easily accessible for repair, replacement or adjustment.
Finally, it is a seventh object of the present invention to provide some or all of the above advantages while still providing a sprayer boom that can be easily folded for ease of transportation and storage.